On April 28, 2018, I ran the biggest and longest race of my life: the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon. About a year ago, I started my journey as a runner. Often times, I think the term "journey" is overused in the context of health and fitness, but after all this time, there is really no other better descriptor of the process. Pursuing a quest to become the best version of yourself is nothing short of an epic adventure; not only because of the physical changes, but also the mental, emotional, and even spiritual changes that take place.
Starting something new is scary...always. When I tell someone I'm a runner, 100% of the time, before I can even finish my sentence, they say, "I can't run, " or "I hate running," or "The only time I run is if I'm being chased." Every single one of those replies is a deflection from the REAL reason they don't run, too. They are afraid. Afraid of pain, afraid of the challenge, afraid of judgment, afraid of lack of mastery.....whatever the "it" is, they're afraid of it. About 90% of the time, I hear, "I tried it and I can't do it." Listen, I've been on the flip side, and I've cut somebody off to adamantly tell them I don't run and never will. But, guess what? I changed. How many things have you tried that you did perfectly on the first try? Learning something new takes effort....vulnerability....time. You need all of that so that you can see and appreciate your progress.
Over the past few years, I've tried a plethora of healthy lifestyles. I've experimented with many versions of healthy eating and various exercise plans, and I even became that person who thought her way was the best way, period. Through running, I have realized that life is really, truly about balance. It's about balancing all of the imbalances we see, feel, hear, and experience. It's about balancing all of the giving and the taking. It's about balancing the good with the bad. It's about balancing the challenges with the recovery periods.
Many of you saw my yoga headstand all those months ago; but let me tell you, that was minor compared to the accomplishment I felt running 13.1 miles. Just the other day, my life coach pointed out that I live a life where I feel the need to constantly improve. I have thought about that, and really pondered on the reason why I am that way. I always set high standards for myself - that's been the case since I was a kid. I am a bit of a smarty pants, so the need for challenges is inherent for me.
Although I am certain I will receive pushback for my next comment, I'm going to say it anyway. Many other types of fitness activities cap at a certain level of mastery then after that, you move into maintenance mode. Once you master a yoga pose, it's mastered. Once you learn choreographed dance fitness, you know it. Once you figure out all of those weights at the gym, there's nothing else about them to figure out. After all of that learning, you go into maintenance, and you can really only add more weight or more reps or more breaths. The thing with running is that there is always something you can improve upon, always a new challenge: speed, distance, nutrition, skill, endurance...you get the picture. There are also so many races all over the world - those experiences alone keep the running world exciting and new. Running is also one sport where you can be an individual and a team member at the same time. It is a very unique experience in that way.
The running community is one of the best parts about all of this. I have met some incredible people in this chapter of my life. There is always encouragement, support, advice, empathy, compassion, and the occasional swift kick in the ass when we need it. We are all just people going through this crazy life, trying to run to stay a little bit sane. That's it. There's nothing to be scared of.
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